About the book

Russell Brown is an acupuncturist and owner of POKE Acupuncture in Los Angeles. His clinic and treatment style are founded on the philosophy that one does not need to subscribe to woo-woo "Love & Light" jargon or faux Buddhist iconography to enjoy the benefits of Eastern medicine and spirituality. And that wisdom comes from all voices that speak authentically, like Angela Bassett, Donna Martin and Fairuza Balk in The Craft.

With that in mind, Brown self-published a book: a user-friendly reintroduction to meditation for his patients who often gripe that they "can't meditate." His intention was to break down some of the misconceptions people have about meditation, and offer some stripped-down clarity on the subject meditation beginners and civilians. For anyone who ever wanted to meditate but has filled their head with crazy excuses like, "You’re doing it wrong," "You suck at it," "It’s too hard," "You just couldn’t possibly sit still for that long," and, "It’s only for possibly-annoying, Mercury-in-retrograde-fearing, billowy-yoga-pant-wearing hippies," this book is a must-read.

The book became a love letter to finding your own inspirational voices. To some, Brown's might be unexpected—Phylicia Rashad, Georgina Chapman, Mariah Carey in Precious—but they are the voices he turns to when asking for help from the universe. All of these women, known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wisdom, appear in the book—beginning with Maya Angelou in an introduction named for one of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 vocal interludes—rendered with a very basic iPad app called Sketch Guru, and voicing the words of Lao Tzu.

Because inspiration doesn't always look like a sunrise and great wisdom comes from even the most unconventional sources.